How to Prepare for the Future

When I first began writing these pages in 2012, several of the mentors I had would say, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!”

This was a really hard one from me as a novice writer because I had spent so many years programming computers and not having to pay attention to how the software was to be marketed.

Thay tells us to be truly present when we plan for the future.

Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village, 2000 – Photo Jerome Freedman

“We likewise can prepare for the future without getting consumed by our plans. Often we either don’t plan at all, or we get caught up in obsessive planning because we fear the future and its uncertainty. The present moment is where we need to operate. When you are truly anchored in the present moment, you can plan for the future in a much better way. Living mindfully in the present does not preclude making plans. It only means that you know there’s no use losing yourself in worries and fear concerning the future. If you are grounded in the present moment, you can bring the future into the present to have a deep look without losing yourself in anxiety and uncertainty. If you are truly present and know how to take care of the present moment as best you can, you are doing your best for the future already.”

“Written in words so intimate, calm, kind, and immediate, this extraordinary book feels like a message from our very own heart….Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most important voices of our time, and we have never needed to listen to him more than now.”
—Sogyal Rinpoche